Wirral

Family life changed for many in Wirral in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in health.

The population reached nearly 320,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Wirral increased by 2.4%, from just over 312,000 to 320,000.

The addition of just under 7,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wirral was home to, on average, 15 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

More single people in Wirral

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Wirral, but at a slower rate than in nearby Liverpool.

In Wirral, the proportion of single people increased from 29% in 2001 to 34% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Liverpool increased from 42% to 50%.

Across the North West, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 30% to 36%.

The proportion of married people in Wirral fell from 50% to 45%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 12% to 13%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Wirral residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11% to 7.5% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (78%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67% in 2001. The percentage of Wirral residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Wirral decreased by 3.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wirral, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households in Wirral, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 6.1% to 8.5% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in three (34%) households had only a single person, compared with 32% in 2001. The percentage of households in Wirral, which comprised a married couple (with or without children), decreased from 35% to 30%.

The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 7.9% in 2001 to 9.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Wirral increased by 2.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Wirral, the North West and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of employment

The percentage of employed people increased here, but at a slower rate than in Liverpool.

In Wirral, the proportion of employed people increased from 49% in 2001 to 51% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Liverpool increased from 41% to 45%.

Across the North West, the share of employed people increased from 51% to 51%.

The rate of unemployment in Wirral increased from 4.3% to 5.2%, while the rate of self-employment increased from 5.9% to 7.5%.

The rate of employment was lower than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that that said they were employed across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Wirral

The number of people in Wirral from the White ethnic groups remained close to 310,000 between the last two seasons. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 98% to 97%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across the North West (from 94% to 90%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Wirral from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 2,600 in 2001 to about 5,100 in 2011 (from 0.8% to 1.6%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just under 1,800 to about 3,300 (from 0.6% to 1.0%).

Just under 700 people (0.2%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just under 540 in 2001 (0.2%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Wirral decreased by 1.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Wirral by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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